Electrical wires are utilized for a wide variety of applications. Conventional electrical wires are sheathed in an insulation material such as silicone rubber or ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. Electrical insulation generally serves to restrict the flow of electric current in order to greatly reduce the possibility of conducting electricity under the influence of an electric field. Electrical wires are frequently recycled after use. The removal of electrical insulation is a common step of the recycling process, but can be both time-consuming and costly. A common method of removing electrical insulation is by melting the insulation material off of the electrical wire's metal core. A downside of this method is the substantial energy investment and negative environmental effects of melting the insulation material. As a result, a more convenient and straightforward means of removing insulation material from an electrical wire is desirable.
The present invention is a manually-operated wire stripper that is utilized for cutting and removing the electrical insulation from electrical wires. The present invention is able to accommodate a wide range of electrical wire sizes. A blade is utilized to create an incision in the electrical insulation of an electrical wire. The wire may then be pulled manually in order to cut and remove the electrical insulation along the length of the electrical wire.